sprint-plan

Sprint Planning

Context

Instructions

1. Estimate team capacity:
   • Number of team members and their availability (PTO, meetings, on-call)
   • Historical velocity (average story points per sprint from last 3 sprints)
   • Capacity buffer: reserve 15-20% for unexpected work, bugs, and tech debt
   • Calculate available capacity in story points or ideal hours
2. Review and select stories:
   • Pull from the prioritized backlog (highest priority first)
   • Verify each story meets the Definition of Ready (clear AC, estimated, no blockers)
   • Flag stories that need refinement before committing
   • Stop adding stories when capacity is reached
3. Map dependencies:
   • Identify stories that depend on other stories or external teams
   • Sequence dependent stories appropriately
   • Flag external dependencies and owners
   • Identify the critical path
4. Identify risks and mitigations:
   • Stories with high uncertainty or complexity
   • External dependencies that could slip
   • Knowledge concentration (only one person can do it)
   • Suggest mitigations for each risk
5. Create the sprint plan summary:

   Sprint Goal: [One sentence describing what success looks like]
   Duration: [2 weeks / 1 week / etc.]
   Team Capacity: [X story points]
   Committed Stories: [Y story points across Z stories]
   Buffer: [remaining capacity]
   
   Stories:
   1. [Story title] — [points] — [owner] — [dependencies]
   ...
   
   Risks:
   - [Risk] → [Mitigation]

6. Define the sprint goal: A single, clear sentence that captures the sprint's primary value delivery.

Further Reading

• Product Owner vs Product Manager: What's the difference?